What Does It Take? Reader's Advisory Core Competencies

Anyone who works with readers has the best of intentions, eager to get the right book into the hands of the right reader; however the best readers’ advisors know that good intentions will take them only so far. The process of connecting book and reader is complex and it can seem like the more you know, the more you realize what you don’t know.

To ensure consistent and successful reader interactions, four areas of competency stand out:  the reader’s advisory conversation, collection knowledge, reader service skills, and reader development. So what does it take to be a skilled Reader's Advisor?